Illinois Football: Illini snagging Kevo Wesley would be huge

The Illinois football team is in the hunt for another big-time recruit for 2020.

Chicago has been a hotbed for the Illini basketball team for quite some time. They have plucked some solid talent from the area. But it is time for the football program to start owning the Chicago area as well. That could all start with a commitment from Kevo Wesley.

Wesley is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound offensive tackle from Curie Metropolitan High School in Chicago, Illinois. He is rated as a three-star recruit who is the No. 628 player in the class of 2020 and the No. 12 offensive tackle in the nation. He is also the No. 11 player in the state of Illinois as well.

Back on April 26, Wesley made it known when he will pick a program to spend the next three-to-four years with. He said he would be making a commitment on August 5. That is right before he starts his senior season. But Wesley also wanted to cut his list down before then and, on Tuesday, he did just that.

Wesley decided to narrow his top list down to eight programs. Included on this list were the likes of Boston College, Arizona, Iowa, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Louisville, Iowa State and Illinois. This is an impressive list, but I think Illinois needs this kid the most.

It would be great to start landing more in-state talent. Illinois has done a great job recruiting in general, but developing a nice base in the state of Illinois would be big for the program. They also need to start building up the offensive line as well.

Illinois has 14 offensive linemen entering the 2019 campaign. Richie Petitbon will depart after this season, though. That leaves a gap at tackle. After the 2020 season, five more offensive linemen will leave the program. That means six of the 14 offensive linemen on the roster right now will be gone after 2020. That makes Wesley an important piece to the puzzle for the Illini.

Wesley now has the Illini in his top eight. He would be a huge addition to this program for in-state recruiting and for depth moving forward. This kid is an impact player, and I want to see him suit up for the Orange and Blue.